Barristers regularly act for and advise both claimant and defendant clients, including numerous key insurance companies, in high-value catastrophic and fatal injury claims.”

Chambers UK 2026, Personal Injury

personal injury shortlist

A core part of our personal injury practice involves serious and catastrophic injury litigation. These cases often involve life-altering consequences for claimants and significant financial risk for defendants. Our barristers are regularly instructed in claims involving:

  • Traumatic or acquired brain injury
  • Partial or complete spinal injury
  • Birth injury
  • Amputation
  • Complex medical causation issues
  • Negotiating solutions to funding problems involving indemnities or other facilitative outcomes

These claims demand not only legal knowledge but sensitivity, foresight, and excellent judgment. We are adept at navigating challenging issues such as long-term care and accommodation needs, loss of earnings and earning capacity, disputed medical causation, future medical treatment costs, and issues around mental capacity.

Many of our barristers are also experienced in working as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with rehabilitation providers, case managers, and expert witnesses to support early recovery and long-term outcomes.

We are instructed by a broad range of bodies, from insurance companies to trade unions and local authorities, as well as by individuals direct, and through their solicitors. We are panel or preferred Chambers for several major insurers. We are happy to undertake work on a conditional fee basis, subject to the usual risk assessment by Counsel.

Fatal Accident Claims & Inquests

Our team has particular strength in fatal accident claims. These matters often raise complex legal and evidential questions, including dependency calculations, multiple heads of loss, and liability disputes. We frequently act in claims brought under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 and the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934.

We also regularly represent families and other interested parties at inquests. Many of our barristers are experienced in both standard and Article 2 inquests, and understand the practical and emotional demands of these proceedings. We provide clear, supportive guidance throughout the process—from pre-inquest advice and witness preparation to representation at hearings and follow-up civil claims. Find out more here.

We also advise on all clinical negligence and professional negligence claims.

WINNER - TEAM OF THE YEAROur Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Clerking team won ‘Team of the Year 2023’ by Bristol Law Society.

Our Clerking team enjoy a national reputation for the reliable, helpful and efficient service they provide to clients, always going that extra mile. The  clerks headed up by Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire and their team, Lara Hanney and Jordan Yandell, are consistently praised for their high standard client service in Chambers UK and The Legal 500.

Training

We design and deliver many seminars and workshops and are always happy to provide bespoke training to meet your team’s individual needs. Please contact Adam Marston or Hugh Maguire Practice Managers, to discuss the extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we offer clients.

View our Personal Injury digital book here for further details about how we can help you.

Catastrophic Injury Team

Matthew White

Matthew White KC

  • Call: 1997
  • Silk: 2026

Matthew advises and represents clients in catastrophic injury claims, particularly traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, and serious orthopaedic or amputation cases. He is used to working with teams of medical and rehabilitation experts to ensure the best...

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Matthew Phillips QC

Matthew Phillips KC

  • Call: 1993
  • Silk: 2017

Matthew’s personal injury practice revolves around high value spinal and brain injury claims arising out of road traffic and workplace/industrial accidents. Matthew is also experienced in handling fatal accident claims and the calculation of damages pursuant to the...

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Nathan Tavares KC

Nathan Tavares KC

  • Call: 1992
  • Silk: 2018

Nathan is a respected practitioner in complex or catastrophic personal injury claims. He has particular expertise in: traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, aviation accidents, equestrian accidents, and industrial disease claims. He carries out both claimant and defendant...

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Richard Stead

  • Call: 1979

One of Chambers’ most senior barristers, Richard has an extensive practice which encompasses personal injury, clinical negligence, professional negligence claims and property damage matters, including a number of high profile cases. Richard’s practice is also complemented by his...

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Andrew McLaughlin

Andrew McLaughlin

  • Call: 1993

Andrew’s key fields of expertise lie in fundamental dishonesty, brain and spinal injury and alleged chronic pain, employers’ liability for accidents at work and industrial disease, road traffic accidents, bullying and stress at work, sexual abuse, occupier’s and...

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Julian Horne

Julian Horne

  • Call: 1998

Julian is an experienced personal injury barrister with expertise across the field. He is frequently instructed in cases involving catastrophic injury, from the initial phase prior to proceedings through to settlement – or, if required, trial. He also...

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Justin Valentine

  • Call: 1999

Justin acts for claimants in both clinical negligence and personal injury cases where individuals have suffered life changing injuries. He is well regarded for his meticulous attention to detail, robust pleadings, skilled negotiation, persuasive advocacy and excellent client...

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Rachel Russell

Rachel Russell

  • Call: 2001

Rachel has over 20 years’ experience in dealing with personal injury cases, acting for both claimants and defendants with extensive expertise in claims concerning catastrophic injuries of the utmost severity. She is currently instructed as junior counsel to...

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Darren Lewis

Darren Lewis

  • Call: 2004

Darren specialises in personal injury and employment matters, and was called to the Bar in 2004. He is a leading junior on civil fraud, fundamental dishonesty, S57 defences as well as committal for contempt of court. He has...

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Louise Asprey

Louise Asprey

  • Call: 2007

Louise specialises in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquest work. She undertakes a broad range of high-value and complex claims, often following her representation of interested persons at the related inquest. Since her appointment to the Attorney General...

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Patrick West website

Patrick West

  • Call: 2007

Patrick has a national practice, specialises in all areas of personal injury law including: Employers’ liability Occupiers’ and public liability Highways Act cases Holiday claims Road traffic Animals Act Product liability and consumer protection Sport accidents Credit hire...

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Jimmy Barber

  • Call: 2008

Jimmy is a specialist practitioner in the fields of clinical negligence, personal injury and industrial disease. He joined St John’s Chambers in September 2015 having previously practised in London. In clinical negligence, Jimmy has experience of cases involving...

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James Marwick

James Marwick

  • Call: 2008

James has been recognised as a leading junior in personal injury work for a number of years. He specialises in high-value claims and undertakes work for claimants and defendants involving serious injury. He is Deputy Head of the...

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Ben Handy

Ben Handy

  • Call: 2008

Ben is Deputy Head of Chambers’ Personal Injury Department, a mediator and part-time Crown Court judge. He is widely recognised for his “resourceful and highly adaptable” trial advocacy and “excellent advice on strategy” in relation to catastrophic injury...

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James Huges Profile

James Hughes

  • Call: 2011

James specialises in the following areas of work: Personal injury Clinical negligence Data protection James is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence practitioner. He has extensive experience across the full spectrum of such work, including public and...

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Rachel Segal

Rachel Segal

  • Call: 2013

Rachel is ranked as a leading junior in The Legal 500 for personal injury, clinical negligence, and inquests and inquiries, and in Chambers and Partners for Personal Injury. She enjoys working across the spectrum of clinical negligence and...

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Sophie Howard

  • Call: 2016

Sophie specialises in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquest work. She acts for claimants and defendants in a variety of personal injury cases including RTA claims, employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, fraud and credit hire. Sophie is an experienced...

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Tara-Lynn Poole

  • Call: 2019

Tara-Lynn practises in personal injury, clinical negligence and costs. She is known for her meticulous approach, and has been praised for her in-depth knowledge of civil procedure. She takes a pragmatic and solution-focused approach to her cases and...

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Beatrice Baskett

  • Call: 2021

Beatrice is a barrister specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquests. Beatrice maintains a busy practice in the fields of Clinical Negligence, Inquests, and Personal Injury. She is regularly praised by her clients for her resolute advocacy,...

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Michael Rivelin

Michael Rivelin

  • Call: 2024

Michael is a barrister specialising in personal injury law. Michael is regularly instructed in a broad range of personal injury work including employer’s liability, public liability, road traffic accidents, and Highways Act claims, at interim hearings and at...

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Derek O'Sullivan KC

  • Call: 1990
  • Silk: 2006

Derek O’Sullivan KC’s practice concentrates on personal injury and he has significant experience in: catastrophic injury claims, employer’s liability claims, occupier’s liability claims, fatal accident claims and road traffic accidents. Derek is also regularly instructed in health and...

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Directory Quotes

A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering.”

Chambers UK 2025, Personal Injury

A strong regional set with a wide-ranging depth of experience in cases involving fatal accidents, industrial disease, brain injuries, and catastrophic spinal injuries.”

The Legal 500 2025, Personal Injury

A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering.”

Chambers UK 2024, Personal Injury

St John’s Chambers is ‘an impressive set with a number of high-quality barristers’, praised by some as ‘the strongest set in the South West for claimant personal injury litigation’.

The Legal 500 2024, Personal Injury

A market-leading set, well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering. Its barristers regularly act for and advise both claimant and defendant clients, including numerous key insurance companies, in high-value catastrophic and fatal injury claims.”

Chambers UK 2023, Personal Injury

St John’s Chambers has a wide breadth of expertise and experience.’ ‘ They are always able to offer available counsel at the right level on any case.’ “

Legal 500 2023, Personal Injury

A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering. ‘The quality of advice provided by the barristers is exceptional.’ “

Chambers UK 2022, Personal Injury

St John’s Chambers houses a comprehensive set of barristers in its personal injury team, which is praised by clients for its strength in depth.”

Legal 500 2022, Personal Injury

Seminars & Events

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